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HISTORY 


OF  THE/ 


CONFEDERATE 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


Confederate  Powder  Works 


COL.  (GENERAL)  GEO.  W.  RAINS, 


LATE  OF  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY. 


M  ADDRESS  DELIVERED  BY  INVITATION  BEFORE  THE  CONFEDERATE 
SURVIVORS'  ASSOCIATION,  AT  ITS  FOURTH  ANNUAL  MEETING, 
ON  MEMORIAL  DAY,  APRIL  26TH,  1882. 


THE  NEWBURGH  DAILY  NEWS  PRINT, 
NEWBURGH,  N.  Y . 


ADDRESS. 


Fellow  Confederate  Survivors : 

In  accepting  your  invitation  to  address  you  on  the  general  history 
of  the  Confederate  Powder  Works,  I  do  so  with  some  hesitation,  on 
account  of  my  close  personal  connection  with  a  subject  which  ab 
sorbed  my  thought,  time  and  energies. 

In  the  history  of  a  war  we  find,  generally,  but  little  reference 
to  the  manufactories  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  material ;  they 
had  been  previously  established,  and  were  in  active  operation  before 
its  commencement,  their  products  being  immediately  available  for 
active  operations.  An  instance  can  scarcely  be  found  in  modern 
warfare  where  previous  preparations  had  not  been  made,  and  where 
the  necessary  manufacturing  work's  did  not  already  exist. 

The  late  war  was  entered  upon  unexpectedly.  Throughout  the 
Southern  country  it  was  supposed  that  the  North  would  not  serious 
ly  oppose  a  secession  of  the  States  from  the  Federal  compact,  hence 
no  previous  provision  had  been  made  for  such  contingency,  and  no 
material  of  war  gathered. 

Manufactories  existed  on  a  very  limited  scale,  and  none  for  war 
purposes,  hence  their  speedy  erection  was  of  extreme  importance, 
and  had  to  be  accomplished  under  the  most  unfavorable  conditions. 

The  entire  supply  of  gunpowder  in  the  Confederacy  at  the  be 
ginning  of  the  conflict,  was  scarcely  sufficient  for  one  month  of  ac 
tive  operations,  and  not  a  pound  was  being  made  througout  its  lim 
its.  To  enter  upon  a  great  war  without  a  supply  of  this  essential 
material,  and  without  effective  means  of  procuring  it  from  abroad, 
or  of  manufacturing  it  at  home,  was  appalling. 

Xo  one  was  so  well  aware  of  this  condition  of  things  as  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  Confederate  States,  who,  being  an  educated  soldier,  was 
fully  alive  to  the  requirements  of  war,  and  at  once  took  active 
measures  for  the  creation  of  war  material.  Among  these,  was  the 
erection  of  a  great  gunpowder  manufactory. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  different  nations,  in  addition  to  the  private 
factories  of  gunpowder,  to  have  erected  at  different  points  national 


M167952 


•works  to  supply  the  demand  for  war.  The  very  limited  resources 
of  the  Confederacy  not  admitting  of  division,  had  to  be  accumulated 
at  one  point.  Mr.  Davis  was  necessarily  acquainted  with  most  of  the 
officers  of  the  old  army,  as  he  was  graduated  at  West  Point,  served 
with  great  distinction  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  had  been  Secre 
tary  of  War  under  the  Federal  Government;  he  was  thus  enabled 
to  select  his  agents  for  the  different  services  required.  Thus  that 
very  competent  officer,  General  Gorgas,  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  Ordinance  Department;  I  had  the  honor  of  being  appointed  to 
take  charge  of  the  manufactory  of  gunpowder,  a  carte  blanche  being 
given.  The  necessary  works  were  to  be  erected  as  nearly  central  as 
practical;  to  be  permanent  structures,  and  of  sufficient  magnitude 
to  supply  the  armies  in  the  field  and  the  artillery  of  the  forts  and 
defences. 

On  the  loth  July,  1861,  I  left  Richmond  to  enter  upon  this  duty. 
Making  a  rapid  tour  through  the  South  to  find  a  suitable  site, 
Augusta  was  selected,  for  several  reasons :  for  its  central  position ; 
for  its  canal  transportation  and  water-power;  for  its  railroad  facili 
ties;  and  for  its  security  from  attack — since  the  loss  of  the  works 
would  have  been  followed  by  disastrous  consequences. 

.The  small  amount,  comparatively,  of  gunpowder  captured  with 
the  Navy  Yard  at  Norfolk,  with  that  on  hand  from  other  sources, 
had  been  distributed  to  the  army  gathering  on  the  Potomac,  to  Rich 
mond,  Yorktown,  Pensacola,  Mobile,  New  Orleans,  and  other  places ; 
scarcely  any  being  left  for  the  force  assembling  under  the  com 
mand  of  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnson,  in  Kentucky.  The  Feder 
al  forces,  having  the  requisite  advantages  for  equipment  and  trans 
portation,  were  assembling  in  large  bodies,  and  the  utmost  energy 
was  required  to  prevent  the  loss  of  a  battle  by  failure  in  ammuni 
tion.  General  Johnson's  command  was  the  most  urgent  in  its  wants, 
hence  required  the  first  attention. 

The  State  of  Tennessee,  through  the  energy  of  Governor  Har 
ris,  and  its  Military  Committee  consisting  of  General  Harding  and 
Colonel  Bailey,  had  at  the  earliest  moment  taken  measures  to  supply 
his  army  by  making  contracts  for  saltpetre,  to  be  supplied  from  the 
limestone  caves,  and  with  the  Sycamore  Powder  Mill,  not  far  from 
Nashville,  which  was  to  be  enlarged  and  put  into  immediate  opera 
tion.  These  contracts  were  turned  over  to  the  Confederate  Govern 
ment  on  my  arrival  in  that  city,  and  every  assistance  possible  given 


by  the  State  authorities.  Mr.  S.  D.  Morgan,  a  private  citizen  of 
Nashville,  but  a  gentleman  of  great  energy  and  influence,  rendered 
essential  service  to  the  officers  of  the  Confederacy.  The  Sycamore 
Stamping  Mill  was  soon  put  into  operation,  but  its  limited  arrange 
ments,  particularly  for  preparing  the  saltpetre,  caused  the  product 
to  be  small.  Notwithstanding  the  rapid  construction  of  new  stamp 
ers,  and  other  parts,  it  was  only  in  the  latter  part  of  September  that 
five  hundred  pounds  of  powder  daily  were  produced. 

It  was  soon  perceived  that  to  increase  the  supply,  a  special  refinery 
for  saltpetre  would  have  to  be  erected ;  works  accordingly  were  pro 
jected,  commenced,  and  mainly  completed,  at  Nashville,  by  the 
9th  October,  on  which  day  1,500  Ibs.  were  refined,  and  this  amount 
was  gradually  increased  to  3,000  Ibs.  daily.  Experts  were  not  to  be 
found,  and  for  some  days  every  part  of  the  operations  were  carried 
on  under  my  personal  instruction. 

Gunpowder  contains  three-fourths  of  its  weight  of  saltpetre,  and 
to  have  its  proper  and  enduring  strength,  this  constituent  must  be 
refined  to  almost  chemical  purity.  Thus  the  obtaining  of  this  ma 
terial  and  its  preparation,  became  matters  of  the  highest  considera 
tion. 

The  Governor  of  Georgia,  at  the  suggestion  of  Lieutenant  Boggs, 
late  of  the  Ordinance  Department  of  the  old  army,  had  purchased  a 
small  cargo  of  saltpetre  and  sulphur  in  Philadelphia,  which  fortu 
nately  arrived  safely  at  Savannah  just  before  that  port  was  blockad 
ed.  This  store  of  material,  although  comparatively  small,  was  of  ex 
traordinary  value,  as  from  it  mainly  the  gunpowder  for  General  A. 
S.  Johnson's  army  was  supplied,  as  well  as  the  Batteries  at  Fort  Pil 
low,  Island  Number  10,  and  Memphis,  on  the  Mississippi  river. 

The  earth  of  the  limestone  caves  of  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Georgia, 
Arkansas,  and  other  States,  was  rich  in  nitrate  of  lime,  and  this 
salt  was  convertible  into  saltpetre  by  lixiviation  and  saturating  with 
the  lye  of  wood  ashes.  Some  of  these  caves  were  personally  visited, 
and  great  efforts  made  to  have  them  worked  to  full  capacity.  Agents 
were  sent  out  to  investigate  their  capabilities  with  authority  to  make 
contracts,  and  supply  the  necessary  information  for  their  working; 
the  last  was  accomplished  by  means  of  a  pamphlet  which  I  published 
in  Nashville  giving  detailed  instructions,  and  which  was  distributed 
throughout  the  country;  it  was  republished  in  Richmond,  New 
Orleans  and  other  places.  As  rapidly  as  the  crude  saltpetre  was  re- 


ceived  from  the  caves  it  was  refined  and  sent  to  the  powder  mills, 
and  the  products  mostly  sent  to  General  A.  S.  Johnson's  command. 
About  100,000  pounds  of  gunpowder  were  thus  supplied  before  the 
fall  of  Nashville,  besides  a  considerable  amount  sent  to  New  Orleans 
and  other  places. 

The  caves  of  Arkansas  \vere  rich  in  nitrous  earth,  and  those  of 
Texas  still  more  so,  and  these  supplied  the  armies  west  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  river  with  material  for  gunpowder.  As  early  as  practicable 
I  sent  out  instructed  powder-makers  to  both  those  States,  who  under 
the  directions  of  the  military  authorities,  assisted  to  put  up  the  neces 
sary  powder  mills  for  the  Trans-Mississippi  department,  which  after 
the  fall  of  Nashville  was  left  necessarily  to  its  own  resources. 

In  the  early  part  of  November  my  time  had  become  so  much  oc 
cupied  that  it  was  no  longer  practicable  to  attend  to  the  production 
of  saltpetre,  and  Mr.  F.  H.  Smith  was  sent  from  Richmond  by  the 
Chief  of  Ordinance  to  relive  me  from  its  duties.  At  a  later  day  a 
separate  department  was  established,  called  the  Nitre  and  Mining 
Bureau,  which  then  had  the  entire  charge  of  its  production. 

In  the  latter  part  of  November,  by  the  desire  of  General  Lovell— 
the  able  officer  in  command  at  New  Orleans — I  proceeded  to  that 
city  and  examined  the  temporary  arrangements  for  making  gun 
powder,  and  also  conferrecUwith  him  relative  to  procuring  a  supply 
of  saltpetre  from  abroad.  He  suggested  the  chartering  of  the  steam 
ship  Tennessee,  then  lying  idle  in  the  river  near  the  city,  to  proceed 
at  once  to  Liverpool  and  take  in  a  cargo  of  saltpetre  and  return  to 
New  Orleans,  or,  in  case  of  necessity,  to  put  in  at  Charleston  or  Wil 
mington.  The  suggestion  met  my  views,  and  was  approved  by  Mr. 
Benjamin,  then  Secretary  of  War,  but  was  not  carried  out  on  ac 
count  of  the  effective  blockade  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  Confederate  Government,  however,  by  its  agents  in  Europe, 
purchased  saltpetre  which  was  shipped  on  swift  blockade  runners 
which  arrived  from  time  to  time  at  Charleston  and  Wilmington. 
This  proved  to  be  adequate  to  our  wants,  and  about  two  millions, 
seven  hundred  thousand  pounds  were  thus  received  during  the  war 
and  sent  to  the  Confederate  Powder  Works.  The  amount  obtained 
from  the  caves  amounted  to  about  three  hundred  thousand  pounds 
for  the  same  period.  Thus  the  total  amount  received  at  the  works 
amounted  to  about  1,500  tons. 

The  Governor  and  Military  Committee  of  Tennessee,  in  making 


the  contracts  for  war  material,  had  engaged  Mr.  Whiteman,  of 
Nashville,  an  energetic  citizen,  to  construct  a  Powder  Mill  at  Man 
chester,  who  at  my  suggestion  adopted  the  incorporating  process  of 
heavy  rollers  on  an  iron  circular  bed,  such  as  I  had 
proposed  to  employ  at  the  Confederate  Powder  Works  erected 
at  Augusta.  The  construction  of  this  mill  was  urged  on  so  success 
fully,  that  by  the  middle  of  October  one  set  of  rollers  was  in  opera 
tion,  and  a  second  set  in  course  of  erection ;  a  month  later,  by  supply- 
ing  saltpetre  and  charcoal  from  the  refinery  at  Nashville,  1,500 
pounds  of  gunpowder  were  daily  produced. 

I  had  proposed  at  an  early  period  to  make  this  Powder  Mill  a 
school  of  instruction  for  a  few  selected  men,  so  as  to  have  them  ready 
for  service  at  the  Augusta  Powder  Works  when  they  should  com 
mence  operations — similaly  to  what  had  been  done  at  the  Refinery 
at  Nashville,  where  men  were  being  taught  to  refine  saltpetre  and 
distill  charcoal.  Before  the  occupation  of  Nashville  by  the  Federal 
forces,  these  men,  together  with  the  machinery  and  articles  of  the 
Refinery  in  that  city,  were  removed  to  the  Augusta  Works ;  thus 
they  were  supplied  at  the  commencement  with  the  necessary  means 
of  operation,  which  could  not  have  been  otherwise  accomplished. 
But  one  man — Wright — could  be  found  in  the  Southern  States  who 
had  seen  gunpowder  made  by  the  incorporating  mill — the  only  kind 
that  can  make  it  of  the  first  quality ;  he  had  been  a  workman  at  the 
Waltham  Abbey  Government  Gunpowder  Works,  in  England.  He 
was  made  available  in  the  operation  of  the  Manchester  Mill,  and 
afterwards  for  a  short  time  at  the  Augusta  Confederate  Works,  and 
although  sadly  defective  in  a  certain  way,  I  was  much  indebted  to 
his  knowledge  and  experience. 

A  singular  good  fortune  happened  at  the  commencement  of  my 
labors.  I  came  into  possession  of  an  invaluable  pamphlet  by  Major 
Bradley,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Waltham  Abbey  Works ;  in  this 
the  entire  process  and  machinery  employed  at  that  Factory — the 
best  existing  in  any  country — was  succinctly  stated ;  drawings,  or 
working  plans,  or  details  of  the  buildings,  or  apparatus,  however, 
were  not  given. 

Nowhere  could  be  found  a  publication  in  which  this  was  done  of 
any  powder  factory,  hence  in  the  projection  of  the  Confederate 
Powder  Works,  I  was  thrown  upon  my  own  resources  to  supply 
these  deficiences. 


During  the  many  hours  spent  in  railroad  cars,  these  matters  were 
thought  over  and  planned  separately  as  necessity  required.  A  rough 
sketch  was  made,  dimensions  given,  and  location  designated ;  this 
data  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  capable  men  to  carry  out.  In  my 
young  Architect  and  Civil  Engineer,  C.  Shaler  Smith,  recommened- 
ed  by  the  proprietors  of  the  Richmond  Tredegar  Iron  Works,  I  at 
once  recognised  genius  of  a  high  order,  and  placed  in  his  hands  my 
rough  sketches  of  buildings  to  elaborate  and  give  architectural  finish. 
All  know  with  what  result,  the  fine  taste  exhibited  in  the  massive 
and  beautiful  structures  which  ornamented  the  banks  of  the  Augusta 
Canal,  for  two  miles,  bore  witness  of  his  success. 

Good  fortune  also  brought  to  my  notice,  by  a  casual  encounter 
with  General  Pendelton,  Chief  of  Artillery  at  Richmond,  a  skilled 
machinist,  who  had  served  his  time  at  the  Tredegar  Works,  and 
was  then  a  Sergeant  in  the  Confederate  army.  He,  William  Peri- 
dleton,  was  applied  for,  and  in  his  acquisition,  was  gained  a  man  of 
capability  and  integrity,  into  whose  hands  could  be  confidently 
placed  the  erection  of  all  the  extensive  machinery  then  in  process  of 
construction.  The  responsible  duties  of  Superintendent  of  the 
WTorks  were  also  committed  to  his  charge. 

The  Tredegar  Iron  and  Machine  Works,  at  Richmond,  were  the 
only  ones  throughout  the  South,  having  adequate  capabilities  for  the 
construction  of  the  heavy  and  extensive  machinery  required  in  the 
projected  Confederate  Powder  Works.  They  were  only  partially 
available  for  the  purpose,  however,  as  the  demands  made  upon  them 
for  heavy  artillery,  and  for  all  kinds  of  urgent  work  required  by  the 
Government,  absorbed  their  resources,  nevertheless,  I  was  compelled 
to  call  upon  them  for  most  of  the  twelve  circular  iron  beds,  and 
twenty-four  ponderous  five  ton  iron  rollers,  writh  other  work  requir 
ed  for  the  incorporating  Mills,  which,  together,  weighed  240  tons ; 
two  of  the  rollers  were  made  in  Macon  and  two  in  Chattanooga. 

The  immense  iron  shaft,  nearly  three  hundred  feet  long,  varying 
from  twelve  inches  in  diameter  at  the  central  portions,  to  ten  inches 
and  eight  inches,  toward  the  extremities,  was  cast  and  completed  in 
sections,  mainly,  at  the  Webster  Foundry  and  Machine  Works  at 
the  latter  city ;  here,  also,  were  made  the  twelve  heavy  spur  wheels, 
and  twelve  powerful  friction  arrangements  to  start  and  stop  gradual 
ly  each  set  of  rollers  separately,  as  the  main  shaft,  working  in  the 


extensive  subterranean  archway,  which  extended  below  the  line  of 
mills,  continued  its  incessant  revolutions. 

The  great  gear-wheel,  sixteen  feet  in  diameter,  attached  to  the 
centre  of  this  shaft,  giving  it  motion,  with  its  corresponding  massive 
pinion  on  the  engine  shaft,  were  cast  and  accurately  finished  at  At 
lanta. 

The  fine  steam  engine  of  i3O-horse  power,  having  two  cylinders 
and  a  fly  wheel  of  fourteen  tons  weight,  and  five  boilers  was  made 
at  the  Xorth  just  before  the  war,  and  brought  to  that  city  to  be  used 
in  a  flouring  mill.  This  was  purchased  as  being  exactly  the  motive 
power  required. 

It  was  designed  to  make  use  of  the  water  power  of  the  canal  for 
all  purposes,  but  its  available  capacities  at  that  time  would  not  per 
mit  this,  for  the  large  amount  required  by  the  incorporating  mills ; 
it  was  employed  at  the  other  and  more  dangerous  buildings,  which 
required  a  smaller  amount  of  power.  Two  smaller  steam  engines — 
one  procured  at  Macon  and  the  other  at  Selma — were  employed  in 
the  Refining  building.  Two  Hydraulic  Presses  were  procured  at 
Richmond ;  the  twelve  iron  evaporating  pans,  each  holding  five  hun 
dred  gallons,  were  cast  at  the  large  Iron  Works  on  the  Cumberland 
River,  in  Tennessee.  The  extensive  copper  drying  pans  for  the  pow 
dered  saltpetre,  being  together  forty  feet  long  by  nine  feet  broad, 
were  made  at  Nashville ;  the  four  cast  iron  Retorts,  four  feet  long 
by  three  feet  in  diameter,  with  eight  cast  iron  coolers,  and  twelve 
sheet  iron  slip  cylinders  of  nearly  the  same  dimensions,  were  made 
at  the  Augusta  Confederate  Foundry  and  Machine  Works,  where  al 
so  all  the  smaller  machinery  required  \vas  constructed.  Copper  boil 
ers  were  procured  from  Wilmington,  N.  C,  being  made  of  large  tur 
pentine  stills ;  pumps,  pipe  and  cement  from  Charleston ;  sheet  cop 
per  from  Savannah  and  Nashville ;  tin  and  zinc  for  roofing  from 
Mobile;  the  larger  steam  pipes  from  Right's  Foundry,  in  Augusta, 
and  the  smaller  from  New  Orleans ;  iron  and  coal  for  castings 
were  had  from  North  Georgia  and  Alabama,  and  copper  from  Duck- 
town,  in  Tennessee. 

Thus  material  was  gathered  from  all  the  Southern  States  to  unite 
with  the  resources  of  the  City  of  Augusta,  to  construct  the  largest 
and  finest  Gunpowder  Factory  to  be  found  in  any  country. 

On  the  2oth  of  July,  1861,  I  examined  the  Augusta  Canal  and  re 
sources  of  the  citv,  and  later  selected  the  location  of  the  Powder 


10 

Works,  beginning  at  the  site  of  the  United  States  old  Magazine, 
half  a  mile  from  the  western  city  limit.  Land  adjacent  was  purchas 
ed,  and  also  that  between  the  canal  and  the  river  for  a  distance 
of  two  miles,  so  that  the  different  buildings  required,  might  be 
seperated  by  intervals  of  at  least  one  thousand  feet  for  safety  in  case 
any  one  of  them  should  have  an  explosion. 

It  was  remarkable  that  the  most  favorable  conditions  required  in 
the  erection  of  an  extensive  Powder  manufactory,  were  all  met  at 
this  location,  and  nowhere  eise  attainable.  These  are : 

1.  A  central  point  of  the  country,  for  obvious  reasons. 

2.  On  a  main  line  of  railroad  communication,  to  distribute  the 
products  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

3.  On  a  canal  or  river,  which  could  afford  a  safe  and  economical 
means  of  transportation  of  the  pulverized  materials  in  process  of 
manufacture,  at  the  same  time  affording  the  necessary  water-power 
to  the  different  buildings. 

4.  In  the  neighborhood  of  a  town  or  city,  from  which  mechanics 
and  employes,  as  well  as  necessary  articles,  could  be  obtained. 

5.  A  location  near  which  the  best  building  materials  could  be 
procured  for  permanent  structures. 

6.  A   temperate   climate,    where   operations   could   be   continued 
throughout  the  year  without  obstructions  from  ice,  and  to  avoid  the 
hazard  and  expense  of  warming  the  building. 

7.  A  district  of  country  free  from  lime  and  earthy  salts,  so  that 
the  large  amount  of  water  required  in  the  operations  of  the  Saltpetre 
Refinery  should  be  as  nearly  pure  as  possible. 

8.  A  location  which  would  insure  an  abundant  and  cheap  supply 
of  the  proper  kind  of  wood  required  in  the  making  of  gunpowder. 

9.  A  situation  which,  whilst  sufficiently  near  a  town  to  procure 
readily  supplies  and  workmen,  should,  at  the  same  time,  be  removed 
so  far  off  that  the  dangerous  structures,  should  an  explosion  occur, 
would  cause  no  damage  to  the  nearest  inhabitant. 

10.  Hence,  also,  the  canal  or  stream  on  which  the  works  exist, 
should  have  but  little  traffic  or  commerce,  and,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
works,  should  pass  through  a  sparsley  inhabited  district. 

The  Augusta  Canal,  having  been  selected  for  the  site  of  the  Con 
federate  Powder  Works,  contracts  were  immediately  entered  into 
for  the  brick,  stone  and  carpenter's  work,  on  very  favorable  terms. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  business  was  more  or  less  paralyzed, 


11 

so  that  the  manufacturers  and  builders  were,  to  a  considerable  ex 
tent,  thrown  out  of  employment,  which  enabled  contracts  to  be  made 
advantageously  at  the  usual  prices.  Thus,  the  total  cost  of  the  en 
tire  works  did  not  exceed  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand 
dollars. 

The  erection  of  these  works  on  the  ground  of  economy  alone,  was 
of  great  service  to  the  Confederate  Government.  The  extreme  haz 
ard  of  importing  gunpowder  through  the  blockade,  raised  its  aver 
age  price,  the  first  year  of  the  war,  to  three  dollars  per  pound.  There 
were  made  one  million  pounds  at  the  works  in  that  period,  at  a  total 
cost,  including  the  materials,  of  one  million  and  eighty  thousand 
dollars ;  thus  saving  to  the  Government  in  one  year,  one  million, 
nine  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

The  requisite  land  having  been  purchased,  and  contracts  made 
for  building  materials,  the  site  of  the  main  buildings  were  located  by 
myself,  and  construction  commenced  on  the  I3th  of  September,  1861, 
under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Mr.  -  -  Grant,  a  young  civil 
engineer  from  Savannah.  These  buildings  were  erected  of  the  ex 
cellent  bricks  supplied  by  the  Augusta  and  Hamburg  yards,  which 
were  worked  to  their  full  capacity,  and  above  five  millions  were  sup 
plied.  The  handsome  granite  of  Stone  Mountain,  on  the  Georgia 
Railroad,  was  employed  for  the  sills,  lintels,  copings,  and  foundation 
stones.  The  whole  of  the  buildings  were  erected  by  Messrs.  Den 
ning  and  Bowe,  of  Augusta,  the  former  having  immediate  charge, 
and  could  not  be  surpassed  for  excellence  of  workmanship. 

The  first  structure — or  the  one  nearest  the  city — was  called  the 
Refinery  building,  because  the  central  portion  was  used  for  such 
purposes,  but  it  included  a  saltpetre  and  sulphur  warehouse,  of  a 
capacity  of  fifteen  hundred  tons,  on  the  east  end,  and  a  charcoal  de 
partment  and  machine  shop  with  a  steam  engine  on  the  west  end. 
Rifle  and  ballistic  pendulums  on  the  northeast,  and  the  steam  boiler 
house  on  the  northwest  portions.  There  were  four  square  towers 
at  the  corners,  used  as  offices ;  the  entire  structure  forming  three 
sides  of  a  square,  fronting  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  along  the 
canal,  and  extending  back  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet.  The 
north  side  was  mostly  a  brick  enclosure  with  high  walls,  but  having 
no  roof,  and  temporarily  used  for  storing  wood — its  ultimate  desti 
nation  was  for  worshops. 

Within  the  square  were  located  the  kilns  for  drying  the  wood  to 


12 

be  distilled  in  the  charcoal  retorts ;  the  copper  boilers  and  other  ap 
paratus  for  the  extraction  of  the  saltpetre  from  damaged  powder ; 
as  also  the  arrangement  for  the  final  extraction  of  the  saltpetre  from 
the  refuse  of  the  Refinery;  lastly,  the  great  chimney,  into  which  all 
the  smoke  flues  of  the  entire  structure  terminated. 

In  the  projection  of  this  part  of  the  Powder  Works,  I  conceived 
the  design  of  making  the  central  portion  present  the  appearance  of 
a  grand  monumental  structure.  For  this  purpose  the  chimney  was 
placed  centrally,  and  its  exterior  dimensions  considerably  enlarged ; 
in  fact,  it  is  composed  of  two  distinct  parts,  the  chimney  and  out 
side  obelisk ;  the  former  being  enclosed  at  its  base  by  a  square  tower, 
nineteen  by  thirty-five  feet  in  height,  whose  battlements  arose  to 
view  above  the  front  walls.  From  the  top  of  this  tower  the  envelop 
ing  obelisk  commenced,  and  ascended  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet, 
making  the  complete  structure  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the 
ground  to  the  coping.  The  interior  chimney  flue  is  five  feet  square 
from  bottom  to  top.  The  corner  stone,  or  rather  the  box,  containing 
the  usual  documents,  was,  by  a  fancy  of  the  architect,  placed  in  one 
of  the  corners  of  the  top  coping  of  the  obelisk. 

The  saltpetre  refinery  occupied  the  right  central  portion  of  the 
front,  being  sixty-five  feet  long,  fifty-five  feet  broad  and  thirty  feet 
high,  open  from  the  floor  to  the  ventilated  roof.  At  the  east  end 
were  four  of  the  large  evaporating  iron  pans,  placed  side  by  side, 
and  elevated  three  feet  above  the  floor  by  the  brick  work  which  sur 
rounded  them ;  five  similar  pans  were  in  a  corresponding  position  at 
the  west  end,  and  the  large  copper  drying  pans  occupied  forty  feet 
along  the  north  side  at  the  same  height.  Each  evaporating  pan  had 
a  separate  furnace,  and  the  heated  air  from  the  whole  passed  be 
neath,  and  in  contact  with  the  bottoms  of  the  drying  pans  on  its  wav 
to  the  great  chimney ;  the  furnaces  opened  into  side  rooms  com 
municating  with  the  outside  open  space  in  the  rear  of  the  building. 
Thus  the  refining  room  was  entirely  free  from  ashes,  dust  and 
smoke. 

The  centre  space  of  the  floor,  about  thirty-six  feet  square,  was 
sunk  four  feet  to  allow  water  from  the  canal  to  pass  around  the  bot 
toms  of  two  of  the  large  evaporating  pans,  which  were  placed  there 
in  near  the  centre  of  this  area,  and  nine  feet  apart ;  these  were  used 
for  a  special  purpose. 

The  best  quality  of  gunpowder  can  only  be  made  from  the  purest 


13 

saltpetre;  the  impurities  of  the  crude  material  are  mainly  deliques 
cent  salts,  which  rapidly  deteriorate  the  strength  of  the  powder  by 
the  moisture  absorbed.  To  refine  more  or  less  the  rough  saltpetre 
of  commerce  is  then  a  necessity  even  in  producing  an  inferior  arti 
cle. 

To  carry  the  refining  process  to  the  extent  of  nearly  absolute 
purity,  required  several  successive  crystallizations  and  washings, 
involving  a  large  amount  of  manual  labor  in  the  manipulation,  and 
consuming  much  time.  This  was  particularly  the  case  in  the  very 
large  amount  of  saltpetre,  eight  to  ten  thousand  pounds  per  day, 
used  by  the  Works,  the  refining  of  which  would  demand  extended 
buildings  and  apparatus,  as  well  as  requiring  a  large  number  of 
operatives.  Hence,  it  became  desirable  to  devise  methods  by  which 
hand  labor  could  be  superseded  by  motive  power  and  machinery ;  in 
this  I  was  entirely  successful.  Thus,  in  the  operations  of  filling  the 
various  boiling  pans  with  water  or  mother-liquor;  the  transference 
of  the  boiling  solution  of  saltpetre  to  the  draining  trough,  and  thence 
to  the  crystallizing  machines ;  the  cooling  down  of  the  solutions,  and 
their  constant  agitation  to  break  up  the  forming  crystals  into  fine 
particles,  and  transferring  of  these  to  an  adjoining  tank ;  the  wash 
ing  of  the  crystallized  mass,  and  the  subsequent  removal  of  the 
mother-liquor  and  wash-  waters,  were  all  accomplished  by  machin 
ery,  with  the  assistance  of  two  or  three  workmen  only. 

The  saving  of  time  and  labor  was  thus  manifest,  and  the  rapidity 
with  which  these  operations  were  performed,  permitted  a  double 
and  triple  process  in  a  single  day ;  thus  allowing  a  degree  of  purity 
in  the  product  of  refined  saltpetre  not  attained  in  any  other  re 
finery.  Its  purity  was  such  generally,  that  there  was  not  the  one- 
hundred-thousandth  part  of  chlorides  left  in  the  salt. 

Of  the  machinery  used,  the  most  important  was  a  bronze  revolv 
ing  wheel  with  buckets  attached  to  the  periphery,  which  worked  into 
an  iron  pan  or  kettle,  whose  section  was  an  arc  of  a  circle ;  the  buck 
ets  grazed  the  surface  of  the  bottom  and  sides  of  this  kettle,  the 
bottom  of  the  latter  being  immersed  in  a  current  of  cold  water.  The 
hot  filtered  solution  of  the  crude  saltpetre  was  received  into  this  ket 
tle,  and  thus  kept  into  a  state  of  rapid  agitation,  the  effect  being  to 
produce  a  wet  mass  of  minute  crystals,  which,  as  fast  as  formed,  were 
taken  up  by  the  sharp  edged  buckets,  and  lifted  sufficiently  high  to 
pour  into  a  receiving  vat ;  this  permitted  the  liquid  part  to  flow  back 


14 

into  the  kettle.  By  this  means  in  a  short  time  the  entire  mass  of  fine 
deposited  crystals  from  the  rapidly  cooled  liquid,  were  removed  to 
the  vat.  When  the  operation  was  completed  the  remaining  liquid 
in  the  kettle  was  by  the  revolutions  of  the  bronze  wheel,  discharged 
into  one  of  the  eight  capacious  cisterns  below  the  floor;  there  were 
two  of  these  machines  employed. 

The  facility  for  work  which  this  apparatus,  with  the  other  me 
chanical  appliances  afforded,  enabled  the  refinery  to  carry  the  puri 
fication  of  the  saltpetre  beyond  that  of  the  most  celebrated  powder 
factories. 

Adjoining  this  part  of  the  Works  was  the  Sulphur  Refinery, 
where  this  material  was  prepared  from  the  crude  stock,  and  made 
ready  for  the  incorporating  process.  About  one  hundred  and  thirty 
tons  of  very  impure  sulphur  had  been  received  from  Louisana,  for 
the  use  of  the  Powder  Works ;  it  had  been  purchased  before  the  war 
by  the  planters  for  use  in  the  making  of  sugar,  and  was  bought  up 
by  the  Confederate  officers.  The  best  quality  of  gunpowder  has  its 
sulphur  chemically  pure,  which  could  be  demonstrated  by  showing 
no  trace  of  acid  when  powdered  and  boiled  in  water,  and  should 
entirely  evaporate  on  a  piece  of  glass  when  heated,  leaving  no  stain. 
This  can  only  be  accomplished  practically  by  distillation.  The  crude 
article  was  melted  and  poured  into  upright,  thick  wooden  boxes 
five  feet  high  and  ten  inches  square  at  the  bottom,  tapering  upwards ; 
when  cold  the  earthy  matters  would  be  found  in  the  lower  portion 
by  subsidence,  leaving  about  three  feet  apparently  pure.  This  was 
broken  off  and  placed  into  two  kettles  of  suitable  form  and  dimen 
sions,  having  furnaces ;  the  tops  of  these  kettles  were  connected  by 
a  bent  iron  pipe  to  an  enlarged  portion,  which  was  surrounded  with 
water.  On  the  application  of  heat  the  sulphur  vaporized,  and 
passing  over  through  the  pipe  was  condensed  in  the  cooled  portion, 
whence  it  trickled  in  a  thick  stream  into  a;  receiving  vessel  below  ; 
the  first  portions  being  rejected,  the  remainder  was  of  a  beautiful 
citron  yellow  when  cold,  and  entirely  pure. 

Unlike  the  refined  saltpetre,  the  purified  sulphur  had  to  be  pul 
verized  and  bolted  like  flour  before  being  used.  The  former  was 
done  by  two  iron  wheels  of  twelve  inches  face  and  five  feet  diameter, 
weighing  six  hundred  pounds  each,  revolving  on  a  bed  circle  of  iron 
like  the  incorporating  rollers ;  the  later  was  accomplished  by  bolters, 
but  when  these  were  worn  out  and  could  not  be  replaced,  for  want 


15 

of  the  silk  cloth,  which  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  South,  necessity 
compelled  me  to  devise  a  different,  and  as  it  proved,  a  superior 
method. 

The  pulverized  sulphur  was  placed  in  barrels  or  cylinders,  with 
hollow  axles,  which  were  made  to  revolve  slowly  by  machinery ; 
there  were  ledges  on  the  interior  which  caused  the  sulphur  to  be  lift 
ed  and  poured  over  as  the  cylinders  revolved ;  a  light  current  of  air 
was  blown  through  each,  entering  the  hollow  axle  at  one  end,  and 
passing  out  through  the  axle  at  the  other  end,  which  led  into  an  ad 
joining  room;  there  the  impalpable  sulphur  dust  was  deposited, 
much  finer  than  by  the  usual  bolting  process. 

Adjoining  this  Refinery  was  the  department  in  which  charcoal 
was  made  and  pulverized.  Charcoal  for  gunpowder  has  to  be  made 
of  a  porous  fine-grained  wood,  having  very  little  ashes  when  burned ; 
willow  is  generally  preferred,  and  was  used  at  first  in  the  Powder 
Works,  but  the  exigencies  of  the  war  taking  away  those  who  would 
ordinarily  have  supplied  it,  rendered  it  impracticable  to  procure  a 
sufficient  quantity.  Recourse  was  had  to  the  cotton  wood,  which 
was  abundant ;  on  trial  its  charcoal  was  found  fully  equal  to  that  of 
the  willow  for  the  purpose,  and  was,  thereafter  always  used. 

Charcoal  for  gunpowder  must  be  made  by  what  is  termed  the 
distilling  process ;  that  is,  the  wood  must  be  heated  in  iron  retorts 
to  the  proper  degree,  to  have  it  of  the  best  quality  and  free  from 
sand  or  grit.  For  this  purpose  cast  iron  cylinders,  or  retorts,  six  feet 
long  and  four  feet  in  diameter  were  used,  placed  over  furnaces, 
each  having  one  end  solid  and  the  other  with  a  movable  cover ;  into 
these  were  run  the  slip  cylinders,  which  contained  the  kiln  dried 
cotton  wood,  split  up  into  sticks  about  one  and  a  half  inches  in 
diameter,  and  entirely  filling  it. 

The  slip  cylinders  were  charged  with  the  wood  in  an  outside 
apartment,  their  covers  put  on,  then  readily  moved  by  cranes  to  the 
retorts,  into  which  they  were  pushed ;  the  covers  of  which  were 
then  luted  with  clay  and  closely  applied.  The  bottoms  of  the  retorts 
being  perforated,  permitted  the  escape  of  the  vapors  and  gases  into 
the  furnaces  beneath,  where  inflaming,  they  supplied  mainly  the  heat 
required  in  the  operation.  In  about  two  hours  the  slip  cylinders 
were  withdrawn  from  the  retorts  and  moved  by  the  cranes  over,  and 
lowered  into  the  cast  iron  coolers  beneath  the  floor ;  these  had  water 
from  the  canal  circulating  around  them  ;  the  covers  being  then  put 


16 

on  to  exclude  the  air,  the  mass  of  charcoal  was  rapidly  cooled.  As 
soon  as  a  slip  cylinder  was  removed  from  a  retort  a  freshly  charged 
one  would  take  its  place,  and  thus  the  process  was  continued.  The 
slip  cylinders  were  taken  out  of  the  coolers  in  succession  by  the 
cranes,  and  swung  over  a  long  and  broad  table  upon  which  their 
contents  were  dropped;  here  the  sticks  of  charcoal  were  separately 
examined  and  the  imperfect  rejected.  The  charcoal  was  then  placed 
in  pulverizing  barrels  with  bronze  balls,  which  revolving  by  ma 
chinery,  soon  reduced  it  more  or  less  to  a  fine  powder ;  it  was  then 
bolted,  and  with  the  sulphur  and  saltpetre  taken  to  the  weighing 
house.  Here  the  three  materials  were  arranged  into  sixty  pounds 
charges,  by  mingling  forty-five  pounds  of  saltpetre,  nine  pounds  of 
charcoal  and  six  pounds  of  sulphur,  which  was  then  moistened  and 
ready  for  incorporation. 

Reflecting  over  the  processes  for  making  gunpowder,  it  suggested 
itself  that  the  chemical  reactions  would  necessarily  have  the  most 
favorable  conditions,  when  there  should  be  the  most  intimate  ap 
proximation  of  the  component  molecules.  That,  as  the  charcoal  by 
its  combustion  with  the  oxygen  of  the  saltpetre,  supplied  the  expand 
ed  gases  which  produced  the  explosive  force,  it  was  of  the  first  con 
sideration  that  there  should  be  the  most  perfect  mixture  practicable 
between  these  two  ingredients.  Under  the  microscope  a  fine  particle 
of  charcoal  was  seen  to  be  a  mass  of  carbon  penetrated  by  numerous 
pores,  hence  it  became  necessary  to  completely  fill  these  minute  pores 
with  the  saltpetre  to  have  the  best  condition.  This  might  be  accom 
plished  by  the  usual  processes,  as  the  charge  is  kept  moistened  when 
stamped  or  rolled,  but  as  it  will  not  answer  to  have  the  mass  ivct 
during  the  incorporating  operation,  only  moist  or  damp,  the  com 
pletion  of  the  process  was  necessarily  delayed.  If  this  mass  of  ma 
terial  could  be  made  into  a  semi-liquid  condition  by  the  action  of 
steam,  the  hot  solution  of  saltpetre  would  speedily  penetrate  the 
minute  pores  of  the  charcoal,  and  thus  the  desired  end  would  be 
rapidly  attained. 

Accordingly,  the  following  process  was  devised :  The  moistened 
sixty  pounds  charges,  roughly  mixed  and  moistened  with  water, 
were  introduced  into  horizontal  cylinders  of  sheet  copper  thirty 
inches  long  by  eighteen  inches  in  diameter.  These  cylinders  re 
volved  slowly  on  a  common  axis,  consisting  of  a  heavy  brass  tube 
three  inches  in  diameter,  perforated  with  holes.  High  pressure 


17 

steam  was  introduced  through  the  tube  raising  the  temperature  to 
the  boiling  point  while  the  water  produced  by  condensation,  added 
to  that  originally  used  to  moisten  the  materials,  reduced  them  to  a 
semi-liquid  slush,  which  was  run  out  of  the  cylinders  after  about 
eight  minutes  rotation.  On  cooling,  this  mud  became  a  damp  solid 
cake,  the  saltpetre  which  in  the  state  of  boiling  hot  saturated  solution 
had  entered  the  minutest  pores  of  the  charcoal,  now  crystalizing. 
The  cake  as  produced  was  transferred  to  the  incorporating  mills, 
and  under  the  five  ton  rollers  was  in  an  hour  brought  to  the  condi 
tion  of  finished  mill  cake,  ready  to  be  cooled  and  granulated,  while 
without  the  steaming  process,  four  hours  incorporation  in  the  mills 
had  previously  been  necessary  to  produce  powder  of  the  same  first- 
class  character.  The  capacity  of  the  work  of  the  mills  was  thus 
practically  quadrupled,  the  thorough  saturation  of  the  charcoal  with 
saltpetre  being  accomplished  by  the  steaming,  while  it  remained  for 
the  rollers  merely  to  complete  the  incorporation  of  the  whole  mass 
and  give  the  required  density  to  the  mill  cake. 

The  Incorporating  Mills,  twelve  in  number,  extended  along  the 
canal  beyond  the  Refinery  building  and  further  back  from  its  bank, 
having  the  Laboratory  between  the  two;  they  were  two  hundred 
and  ninety-six  feet  long.  This  seperation  was  for  safety,  as  they 
worked  explosive  material.  The  walls  were  massive,  being  four  to 
ten  feet  thick,  the  horizontal  section  of  each  being  that  of  a  huge 
mortar  of  seventeen  feet  wide  by  twenty-four  feet  long;  the  height 
of  the  walls  was  twenty-eight  feet;  they  faced  alternately  in  op 
posite  directions,  so  that  an  explosion  of  one  would  not  be  com 
municated  to  those  adjoining. 

The  fronts  were  constructed  of  light  wood  and  glass,  and  the 
roofs  of  sheet  zinc,  so  that  but  slight  resistance  would  be  offer 
ed,  upwards  and  outwards,  to  the  explosive  force.  A  wing  wall, 
nearly  as  high  as  the  main  walls,  and  three  feet  thick,  extended  out 
wards  from  the  centre  of  the  exterior  back  wall  of  each  mill  twenty 
feet,  to  guard  still  further  against  the  effects  of  an  explosion.  Be 
hind  these  the  powder-makers  stood,  for  safety,  while  starting  or 
stopping  the  motion  of  the  ponderous  rollers.  This  was  done  by 
means  of  a  long  lever,  which  threw  in  or  out  of  gear  the  friction 
arrangement,  which  worked  each  set  beneath  the  floor,  in  the  thick 
archway  which  extended  from  end  to  end  beneath  the  mills.  It  has 
already  been  stated  that  this  archway  contained  the  great  iron  shaft 


18 

which  imparted  motion  to  all  the  mills,  and  which  derived  its  own 
from  the  large  steam  engine,  which  was  located  above,  in  the  centre 
apartments  seperating  the  mills  into  two  divisions. 

In  adddition  to  the  above  precautions  to  prevent  the  explosion 
of  a  mill  from  extending  to  the  others,  above  each  set  of  rollers  was 
balanced  a  vessel  containing  about  thirty  gallons  of  water.  This 
was  connected  by  means  of  a  small  iron  shaft  with  a  similar  vessel 
to  each  mill  of  the  division.  Thus,  on  an  explosion  in  one  mill,  its 
bed-plate  was  instantly  drenched  with  water,  and  this  caused  the 
same  to  take  place  at  the  same  moment  with  all  the  others. 

These  precautions  were  rendered  the  more  necessary  by  the  care 
lessness  of  the  powder-makers,  who  might  not  remove  the  broke  up 
powder  cake  from  the  mill  enclosure  before  placing  a  new  charge 
under  the  rollers,  thus  having  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of 
material  to  take  fire  at  the  same  time — as  once  happened — producing 
a  powerful  explosion.  There  occurred  only  three  explosions  at  these 
mills — all  before  the  steaming  process  was  adopted — and  in  the  first 
only  was  any  one  injured.  In  that  one  no  material  harm  was  done, 
as  the  two  powder-makers — exposed  by  their  own  carelessness — 
were  at  work  again  in  a  few  days.  This  explosion  completely  des 
troyed  the  slight  roof,  as  well  as  the  wood  and  glass  front,  but  did 
scarcely  any  other  damage  to  the  mill,  and  had  no  action  on  the  other 
mills  further  than  drenching  their  beds  with  water.  The  other  two 
explosions  were  insignificant. 

These  incorporating  mills  consisted,  each,  of  an  iron  circular  -flat 
bed  of  seven  feet  diameter,  fixed  in  a  mass  of  masonry  built  up  above 
the  brick  archway,  through  the  center  of  the  floor,  to  a  convenient 
height.  On  this  bed  two  massive  iron  rollers,  six  feet  in  diameter 
and  fifteen  inches  face,  revolved.  Each  weighed  five  tons.  They 
had  a  common  axle  of  wrought  iron,  of  five  inches  diameter,  and  a 
vertical  shaft  of  cast  iron  passing  through  the  centre  of  the  bed, 
having  a  rectangular  cross-head  through  which  the  axle  worked. 
This  shaft  connected  below  with  the  machinery  which  gave  it  mo 
tion  from  the  main  shaft. 

These  rollers  were  not  equi-distant  from  the  centre  of  revolution, 
by  which  arrangement  evry  part  of  the  charge  of  materials  on  the 
bed  was  subjected  to  their  action — which  was  crushing,  grinding, 
mixing  and  compressing;  grinding  and  mixing  from  the  twisting 
motion  which  followed  from  so  large  a  diameter  revolving  in  so 


19 

small  a  circle,  and  crushing  and  compressing  from  the  weight  of  the 
rollers. 

To  keep  the  powder  on  the  bed,  a  wooden  curb,  fnnnel-shapped, 
two  feet,  high  was  placed  around  the  circumference,  fitting  closely, 
extending  outwards  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  In  the  centre 
of  the  bed  was  a  short  cylinder  of  metal,  two  feet  in  cliamenter  and 
six  inches  high,  through  the  top  of  which  the  vertical  shaft  passed. 
This  prevented  the  powder  working  inwards.  It  also  acted  as  a 
steam-chamber  to  keep  the  bed-plate  warm ;  but  this  was  not  used 
for  the  purpose,  since  the  steaming  process  rendered  it  unnecessary. 
A  scraper,  or  plo.w,  followed  each  roller,  which  continually  broke  up 
the  powder-cake,  mixed  its  fragments,  and  kept  them  in  the  path  of 
the  rollers. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  operation  the  charge  of  sixty  pounds 
of  steamed  materials  was  uniformly  distributed  over  the  bed;  the 
rollers  were  then  set  into  motion,  revolving  about  ten  times  each 
minute,  which  continued  for  an  hour ;  the  broken  up  powder,  or  mill 
cake,  which  was  about  five-eights  of  an  inch  thick,  was  then  removed 
from  the  bed,  having  a  blackish  grey  color  and  taken  to  the  cooling 
magazines.  These  were  excavated  in  the  clay  and  rock  on  the  other 
side  of  the  canal,  about  one  hundred  yards  distant;  were  four  in 
number  and  separated  from  each  other;  here  the  mill  cake  became 
cold  and  hard,  and  was  ready  for  the  next  operation,  that  of  granula 
tion.. 

The  permanent  building  in  which  this  was  done  was  about  fifteen 
hundred  feet  distant  from  the  Powder  Mills,  on  the  same  side,  fur 
ther  up  the  canal ;  this,  as  well  as  each  of  the  other  permanent 
structures,  was  made  of  brick,  having  thin  walls  and  light  roofs. 
Wood  in  the  damp  atmosphere  of  the  canal  speedily  decayed. 

A  natural  growth  of  trees  and  brush-wood  intervened  between 
the  buildings  along  the  canal,  which  were  generally  situated  about 
one  thousand  feet  apart ;  thus  the  explosion  of  any  one  of  them 
would  be  harmless  to  the  remainder.  There  was  a  temporary 
structure  of  wood  used  at  first  for  granulation,  about  one  hundred 
yards  distant  from  the  permanent  building,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  canal ;  this,  after  a  use  of  some  months,  exploded  with  about 
three  tons  of  gunpowder. 

The  explosion  was  heavy,  shaking  the  earth  for  some  distance, 
and  throwing  up  a  convolving  column  of  flame  and  white  smoke 


20 

five  hundred  feet  in  height.  It  was  composed  of  a  series  of  con 
fused  masses  of  smoke  and  heated  air  revolving  in  vertical  planes 
with  extraordinary  velocity,  through  which  the  flames  flashed  out 
wards  in  all  directions ;  this  was  followed  by  the  thundering  sound 
of  the  explosion,  which  vibrated  the  air  for  a  mile  around,  and  was 
heard  within  the  limits  of  the  city. 

There  were  seven  men  within  the  structure,  a  sentinel  outside, 
and  a  boy  with  a  mule  in  a  shed  adjoining.  The  bodies  of  the  seven 
men  and  the  boy,with  the  debris,  were  carried  up  with  the  ascending 
column,  and  by  its  revolving  action,  reduced  mainly  to  small  frag 
ments  and  dispersed ;  the  sentinel  was  killed  by  the  shock,  but  his 
body  was  not  otherwise  disturbed.  A  growth  of  small  pines  sur 
rounded  the  place,  which  effectually  intercepted  the  lateral  flying 
fragments  ;  in  fact  the  force  of  the  explosion  did  not  extend  outside 
a  diameter  of  one  hundred  feet,  but  within  that  area  the  trees  were 
destroyed  and  the  space  where  the  structure  stood  was  ploughed  up 
and  nothing  remained.  At  the  time  there  was  no  work  being  done, 
as  the  workmen  were  awraiting  the  arrival  of  the  boat  with  the  mill 
cake.  The  careful  foreman,  Gibson,  had  been  called  away,  and  prob 
ably  the  accident  happened  from  matches  falling  on  the  floor,  as  it 
had  been  found  impossible  to  prevent  their  use  by  the  workmen,  for 
smoking,  when  off  duty.  This  was  the  only  explosion  at  the 
Works  during  the  war,  except  the  three  at  the  Mills,  already  men 
tioned.  It  demonstrated  the  safety  of  the  arrangements^  since  their 
was  no  damage  to  any  portion  of  the  Works  except  the  destruction 
of  the  glass  sashes,  and  a  slight  movement  of  the  roof  of  the  per 
manent  granulating  building,  about  one  hundred  yards  distant. 
This  was  about  to  be  occupied,  having  been  completed. 

In  the  granulating  building  the  cold  mill  cake  was  broken  up  into 
fragments  by  bronze  toothed  cylinders  of  small  diameter,  and  then 
by  smooth  ones ;  these  worked  in  pairs,  and  successively,  in  connec 
tion  with  vilratory  screens  and  sieving,  all  in  one  machine.  By  the 
action  of  this  arrangement  the  powder  cake  was  broken  into  frag 
ments,  separated  into  different  sizes  of  grain,  and  each  delivered  into 
its  proper  receptacle.  A  very  large  grained  powder,  each  grain  be 
ing  a  cube  of  one  inch  in  dimensions,  and  weighing  about  one  ounce, 
was  made  by  a  seperate  manipulation  of  the  powder  cake,  and  used 
for  the  very  largest  guns  only. 

From  the  granulating  building  the  powder  was  taken  to  the  dry- 


21 

ing,  dusting  and  glazing  department,  2500  feet  further  up  the  canal. 
There  was  an  intermediate  building  designed  and  used  for  several 
months,  as  the  dusting  and  glazing  department,  the  drying  alone 
being  done  in  the  one  above  mentioned ;  afterwards  the  three  pro 
cesses  were  carried  on  together  in  one  structure.  It  was  soon  per 
ceived  that  the  drying  process,  which  was  done  by  similar  arrange 
ments  to  those  used  at  the  government  works  at  Waltham  Abbey, 
England,  that  is,  by  placing  the  powder  in  small  quantities  in  shal 
low  trays  in  a  frame  work,  over  steam  heated  pipes,  required  con 
siderable  manual  labor  and  occupied  much  time.  It  occurred  to  me 
that  the  same  could  be  accomplished  more  speedily  and  with  far 
less,  labor,  by  a  single  operation,  which  would  likewise  perform  the 
glazing  and  dusting. 

To  accomplish  this  the  powder  from  the  granulating  house  was 
placed  in  revolving  cylinders  having  hollow  axles,  and  a  current  of 
air  warmed  by  passing  through  an  arrangement  of  steam  pipes  was 
blown  through,  carrying  the  dust  into  its  receptacle,  leaving  the 
grains  clear.  This  also  dried  and  glazed  them  at  the  same  time. 
Thus  by  one  operation,  by  machinery,  all  three  processes  were  ac 
complished,  resulting  in  a  large  saving  of  labor  and  time.  In  ad 
dition,  a  beautiful  jet  black  glazing  was  given  by  admitting  a  small 
quantity  of  steam  at  the  proper  time  to  the  current  of  air,  while  the 
barrels  revolved.  This  was  not  generally  done,  however,  as  it  was 
regarded  of  but  slight,  if  any,  practical  value,  the  usual  glazing 
answering  all  required  purposes. 

Two  hundred  yards  .from  this  department  was  the  boiler  house 
supplying  the  steam  required  for  the  pipes  used  in  the  drying  pro 
cess.  Its  chimney  was  one  hundred  yards  still  further  removed, 
communicating  with  the  furnace  by  a  subteranean  arched  flue ;  thus 
sparks  would  have  had  to  drift  over  three  hundred  yards  to  reach 
the  clean  metal  roof  of  the  drying  building. 

The  finished  gunpowder  was  taken  to  the  next  building,  one 
thousand  five  hundred  feet  beyond,  up  the  canal,  where  it  was 
weighed  out  and  put  into  strong  wood  boxes  about  two  and  a  half 
feet  long,  by  one  foot  square,  having  the  ends  let  into  grooves ;  one 
of  the  ends  had  a  strong  wood  screw,  two  inches  diameter,  with  an 
octagonal  head.  Experience  proved  that  these  powder  boxes,  a 
devise  of  my  own  from  necessity,  were  superior  to  barrels,  being 
stronger,  occupying  less  room,  standing  transportation  better,  and 


22 

safer  in  use.  No  explosion  ever  occurred  in  their  transportation, 
notwithstanding  the  occasional  Railroad  accidents,  and  the  many 
thousands  that  were  sent  from  the  Powder  Works  during  the  war. 

The  powder  boxes  being  filled,  were  then  transported  to  the 
magazine,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  still  further  up  the  canal.  This 
wood  structure  was  on  a  rising  ground  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
canal,  enclosed  by  a  high  fence.  Its  capacity  was  about  one  hundred 
tons  of  gunpowder. 

At  this,  and  every  other  separate  building  of  the  Powder  Works, 
a  sentinel  was  stationed  day  and  night,  and  the  utmost  viglance 
used.  Also,  each  of  the  seperate  buildings  along  the  canal,  except 
the  magazine,  containing  large  amounts  of  gunpowder,  were  enclos 
ed  with  high  brick  walls,  having  a  single  entrance. 

At  the  Waltham  Abbey  Works,  in  England,  the  gunpowder  cake 
after  being  crushed,  is  subjected  to  compression  by  the  hydraulic 
press  to  give  if  sufficient  density.  I  found  that  by  using  five  ton  rol 
lers;  the  proper  compression  could  be  given  in  the  powder  mills 
during  the  incorporation,  thus  saving  much  labor  and  time.  The 
hydraulic  press,  consequently  was  only  used  to  compress  the  powder 
dust  into  thin  cakes,  which  were  sent  to  the  granulating  department 
to  be  used  for  fine  grain  powder  only. 

The  press  house  was  located  between  the  Cooling  Magazines  and 
the  granulating  building  on  the  same  side  of  the  canal  as  the  for 
mer.  It  was  a  large  brick  structure  provided  with  two  hydraulic 
presses,  cranes,  and  other  appliances,  with  a  turbine  water  wheel 
to  supply  the  required  motive  power.  After  the  discovery  that  the 
proper  density  could  be  better  given  to  the  powder  cake,  by  using 
sufficiently  heavy  rollers  during  the  incorporation,  this  department 
was  used  only  for  the  purpose  above  stated. 

The  interval  of  ninety  feet  between  the  Refinery  building1  and  the 
Incorporating  Mills,  was  mainly  occupied  by  a  fine  building  called 
the  Laboratory.  It  had  a  projecting  tower  in  the  front  centre, 
twenty-five  feet  square  at  the  lower  stories,  which  together  were 
forty-five  feet  in  elevation.  From  this  the  upper  portion  fifteen 
feet  square  ascended  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet,  making  seventy- 
five  feet  in  all.  The  upper  part  of  this  constituted  the  clock  tower 
with  its  four  large  circular  openings  for  dials.  These  could  be  seen 
for  a  long  distance. 

This   building  which   was   very   striking  in   its   appearance,   was 


23 

never  completed  in  its  interior,  as  the  different  work  to  be  here  per 
formed  was  being  done  at  the  Arsenal  sufficiently  well,  in  tem 
porary  structures.  Awaiting  the  completion  of  the  clock,  the  time 
was  struck  by  hand,  every  half  hour  on  the  large  bell  suspended 
temporarily,  in  the  open  building  in  rear  of  the  Refinery. 

The  continual  testing  of  the  powder,  as  it  was  being  manufactur 
ed  to  insure  its  equality  in  strength,  and  to  ascertain  its  exact  pro 
pelling  force,  was  done  for  the  fine  graded  powders,  by  excellent 
musket  and  ballistic  pendulems  constructed  at  the  Confederate  Ma 
chine  Works  in  Augusta  under  my  direction.  For  the  cannon  or 
large  grain  powders,  by  the  initial  velocities  given  to  the  proper  pro 
jectiles  in  an  eight  inch  Columbiad.  To  determine  these  velocities 
an  accurately  made  electro-ballistic  machine,  such  as  was  employed 
at  the  West  Point  Military  Academy,  was  constructed  at  the  same 
works.  Also  Rodman's  apparatus  for  determining  the  absolute 
pressure  on  each  square  inch  of  the  bore  of  the  gun,  exerted  by  the 
charge.  In  addition  to  these  instruments,  complete  arrangements 
for  determining  the  gravimetric  densities  and  hygrometric  pro 
perties  of  different  samples  of  gunpowder  were  made. 

The  foregoing  appliances  enabled  accurate  comparisons  to  be 
made  at  all  points  between  different  gunpowders,  and  to  determine 
the  various  matters  required  in  the  manufacture  of  the  first  quality 
for  the  various  arms  of  service.  That  this  was  successfully  done 
was  certified  to  by  Boards  of  Artillery  and  Infantry  Officers ;  after 
the  war  the  captured  powder  of  these  works  was  used  in  the  School 
of  Artillery  practice  at  Fort  Monroe,  on  account  of  its  superiority, 
then  in  active  operation,  and  in  his  recent  valuable  book,  speaks  in 

Mr.  Davis,  whilst  President  of  the  Confederacy,  visited  the  works, 
more  than  one  place  in  flattering  terms  of  their  products.  Articles 
published  in  the  London  Times  were  highly  commendatory  of  the 
Works  and  their  results,  which  were'  copied  in  Continental  papers. 
They  were  visited  by  many  distinguished  civil  and  military  gentle 
men,  both  native  and  foreign. 

The  great  extent  of  the  Powder  Works  and  their  immense 
capabilities,  were  the  admiration  of  all  visitors.  This  was  mainly 
due  to  the  foresight  of  the  President  of  the  Confederacy,  who,  com 
prehending  the  requirements  of  a  great  war,  then  scarcely  com 
menced,  strongly  drew  my  attention  to  the  probable  necessity  of  very 
large  supplies  of  gunpowder  to  meet  the  service  of  artillery  of  great 


24 

calibre,  which  would  probably  be  employed,  as  well  as  the  largely 
increased  quantities  necessary  to  meet  the  rapid  firing  of  the  improv 
ed  small  arms,  with  which  infantry  and  calvary  were  now  supplied. 

The  daily  product  of  the  Works  varied  with  the  demand  for  gun 
powder,  and  with  the  amount  of  saltpetre  on  hand.  At  no  time  after 
their  completion  were  they  worked  to  their  full  capacity ;  indeed, 
were  only  worked  during  daylight.  Even  when  supplying  the  ur 
gent  call  of  General  Ripley  at  Charleston  for  cannon  powder,  to  re 
place  the  twenty-two  thousand  pounds  consumed  during  the  action 
with  the  iron-clad  fleet ;  two  days'  work  nearly  supplied  that 
amount. 

Notwithstanding  the  admirable  serving  of  the  heavy  artillery  at 
Fort  Sumter  during  that  engagement,  it  would  have  fallen  and 
Charleston  captured,  had  any  but  the  strongest  gunpowder  been 
used.  The  armor  of  the  iron-clads,  though  constructed  expressly 
to  withstand  the  heaviest  charges  and  projectiles,  gave  way  before 
its  propelling  force.  Mr.  Davis  makes  the  statement  that  the  en 
gagement  between  the  Alabama  and  Kearsarge  would  have  resulted 
in  a  victory  for  the  former,  had  Admiral  Semmes  been  supplied 
with  the  powder  from  these  works.  Any  failure  in  their  construc 
tion  and  products  would  have  rested  with  myself.  A  carte  blanche 
had  been  given,  and  there  was  no  one  to  share  the  appalling  re 
sponsibility. 

There  were  made  at  the  Confederate  Powder  Works  at  Augusta, 
commencing  April  10,  1862,  and  terminating  April  18,  1865,  2,  750,- 
ooo  pounds,  or  one  thousand,  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  tons 
of  gunpowder.  This  was  distributed  throughout  the  Confederacy, 
mostly  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  There  remained  on  hand,  at  the 
Magazine,  at  the  end  of  operations,  about  seventy  thousand  pounds, 
besides  considerable  amounts  of  saltpetre  and  other  material. 

The  Navy  Department  during  the  war  established  a  manufactory 
of  gunpowder  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  which  was  afterwards  re 
moved  to  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  and  then  to  Columbia,  South 
Carolina.  A  powder  mill  was  put  into  operation  at  Richmond, 
Virginia,  also,  at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  but  the  extent  of  their 
operations  is  unknown.  Two  small  stamping  mills  in  the  northwest 
ern  portion  of  South  Carolina,  near  the  mountains,  which  were 
erected  to  make  blasting  powder  for  the  neighboring  tunnel  were 


25 

visited,  but  I  found  that  they  could  be  made  available  only  to  a  very 
limited  extent. 

The  Confederate  Powder  Works  were  so  constructed  that  the 
rough  materials  were  received  at  the  building  nearest  the  city ; 
thence  successively  passed  up  the  canal  from  building  to  building 
in  the  progressive  stages  of  manufacture,  until  it  arrived  finished 
and  ready  for  shipping  at  the  Magazine. 

To  facilitate  the  transportation,  a  short  branch  of  railroad  was  con 
structed  connecting  the  canal  basin  with  the  Georgia  Railroad.  The 
safe,  economical,  and  ready  means  of  transportation  by  the  canal 
were  invaluable ;  no  accident  ever  happened,  notwithstanding  the  im 
mense  amount  of  combustible  material — over  two  thousand  five 
hundred  tons — which  had  passed  to  and  fro  over  it  during  the  three 
years  of  operations.  From  the  canal  bank  to  the  entrance  of  each 
building,  the  walks  were  covered  with  compressed  sawdust,  and  rub 
ber  shoes  were  worn  by  all  operatives  in  the  departments  containing 
gunpowder. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Augusta  was  the  only  city  of  note 
in  the  South,  which  was  not  occupied  at  some  time  by  the  Federal 
forces  during  the  war;  here  the  flag  of  the  Confederacy  floated  un 
disturbed  to  the  end. 

The  extensive  Sibley  Cotton  Factory  has  been  erected  on  a  por 
tion  of  the  site  of  the  Refinery,  Laboratory  and  Incorporating  Mills, 
and  so  arranged  that  the  Confederate  obelisk  stands  conspicuously 
in  front  of  the  centre ;  the  battlemented  and  ornamental  architecture 
of  the  Powder  Works  was  adopted  in  the  construction  of  the  Factory 
buildings,  which  give  them  a  fine  and  noble  appearance. 

Here  was  once  heard  the  noise  of  the  clanking  wheels  and  muffled 
sounds  of  the  ponderous  rollers  of  war,  as  they  slowly  concentrated 
into  black  masses  the  enormous  energies  which  were  to  shake  the 
earth  and  air,  with  the  roar  and  deafening  explosions  of  the  bat 
tle  fiell  Now  the  air  is  again  filled  with  the  sounds  of  moving 
machinery,  but  it  is  the  busy  hum  of  peaceful  occupations  which 
assist  to  clothe  the  world  from  the  \vhite  cotton  fields  of  Georgia. 
The  black  material  of  war  has  given  away  to  the  white  staple  of 
peace. 

Of  the  extensive  Confederate   Powder  Works  nothing  remains 


26 

except  the  obelisk  enclosing  the  great  Chimney.  Its  battlemented 
tower  and  lofty  shaft,  large  proportions  and  beautiful  workmanship, 
will  bear  evidence  of  the  magnitude  and  style  of  their  construction 
to  future  generations. 


APPENDIX. 


To  the  special  duties  of  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder  were 
added  the  command  of  the  Augusta  Arsenal,  on  the  /th  April,  1862, 
and  at  a  later  period  that  of  the  Military  District  of  Augusta.  In  the 
early  part  of  February,  1863,  in  connection  with  Captain  Fairfax, 
of  the  Confederate  Navy,  the  duties  of  getting  into  effective  opera 
tion  the  extensive  and  unfinished  Foundry  Works  constructed  at 
Selma,  Alabama,  under  contract  with  the  War  and  Navy  Depart 
ments,  were  superadded.  When  the  communication  with  Richmond 
was  endangered,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  all  the  Arsenals  south 
of  Virginia,  were  committed  to  my  charge. 

It  had  been  the  design  at  an  early  period,  of  the  Chief  of  Ordi 
nance,  to  convert  the  Arsenal  at  Augusta  into  one  of  construction, 
and  Capt.  Gill  was  placed  in  charge  with  that  object  in  view.  On 
taking  command,  I  found  there  were  no  existing  facilities  for 
large  constructive  works ;  thus  the  intention  had  to  be  for  the  time, 
abandoned,  but  it  was  found  available,  by  the  erection  of  several 
wood  structures,  for  lighter  work,  such  as  the  preparation  of  car 
tridges,  fixed  ammunition,  signal  rockets,  fuses,  primers,  grenades, 
nitric  acid,  fulminates  and  percussion  caps,  etc. 

It  was  necessary  for  works  of  construction  to  make  available  the 
water  power  of  the  canal  within  the  city ;  accordingly,  a  Machine 
and  Foundry  establishment,  then  lying  idle,  was  purchased.  Air 
and  cupola  furnaces,  etc.,  were  added  to  the  Foundry,  and  lathes, 
planers,  drills,  ets.,  were  purchased  from  Holly  Springs,  Mississippi, 
and  Columbus,  Georgia,  and  from  Selma,  Alabama,  and  other  places, 
and  added  to  those  already  present  in  the  Machine  Works.  Also  an 
extensive  and  complete  gun-carriage  department  was  erected,  and 
a  powder-box  manufactory  established,  together  with  several  houses 
for  the  preparation  of  small  arm  catridges,  and  other  purposes. 
These  structures  were  rapidly  erected,  and  machinists,  founders, 
blacksmiths,  tinners,  harness  makers,  armorers,  etc.,  and  the  various 
material  required,  were  gathered  from  all  available  sources.  The 
large  brick  building  erected  by  Captain  "Gill  at  the  Arsenal  was  con 
verted  into  a  harness  and  equipment  department  for  field  artillery ; 
also  used  for  tin  and  blacksmith  shops,  hospital  and  warehouse. 

I  was  fortunate  in  obtaining  skilled  men  for  the  heads  of  the 
several  departments ;  among  these  were,  at  the  Arsenal,  Professor 
W  ilson,  Chemist ;  Master  Armorer  Oliver  and  F.  Smyth ;  the  last 
had  charge  of  the  Tinners'  department,  and  also  was  Captain  of  the 
Operatives'  Military  company. 


28 

At  the  City  Works  were  Foundry  Superintendent  Van  Buren,  of 
Clarksville;  Superintendent  Markey,  of  the  Gun  Carriage  Depart 
ment;  Superintendent  Walker,  of  the  Machine  Works.  Mr.  Wy- 
man  had  charge  of  the  Harness  and  Saddle  and  Equipment  Depart 
ment,  but  the  artillery  harness  was  mostly  manufactured  in  the  city, 
very  satisfactorily,  by  Messrs.  Jessup,  Hatch  and  Day.  There  were 
several  valuable  foremen  in  the  different  shops,  among  them  were 
Jaillet,  Sharky,  Shehan,  Barr,  and  others,  whose  names  are  not  re 
called. 

I  was  also  materially  assisted  by  Military  Store-Keeper  Girardey 
and  several  young  officers — Captain  Finney,  and  Lieutenants  Wal 
ler,  Collier,  Sparrow,  Hallam,  and  Cadet  Lewis,  and  towards  the 
close  of  operations  by  Captain  Warren. 

At  the  several  works  under  my  charge  at  Augusta,  a  large  amount 
of  war  material  was  manufactured,  in  1863,  1864  and  part  of  1865. 
The  record  of  the  last  year  has  been  lost.  Among  the  various 
articles  of  the  two  above  years  were  the  following,  copied  from  my 
official  reports  to  the  Chief  of  Ordinance : 

no  Field  Guns,  mostly  bronze,  12-pounder  Napoleons.  These 
guns  were  cast,  turned,  bored  and  finished  complete  at  all  points. 
Four  of  them  now  ornament  the  principal  entrance  to  Washington's 
Headquarters,  at  Newburgh,  New  York. 

174  Gun  Carriages. 

115  Caissons. 

343  Limbers  to  Field  Artillery. 

21  Battery  Wagons. 

31  Traveling  Forges. 

10,535  Powder  Boxes. 

n,8n  boxes  for  Small  Arm  Ammunition. 

73,521  Horse  Shoes. 

12,630  Nitric  Acid,  pounds  of. 

2,227  ounces  of  Fulminate  of  Mercury. 

2,455  Saddles,  complete. 

2,535  Artillery  Harness,  single  sets  of. 

2,477  Signal  Rockets. 

85,800  rounds  of  Fixed  Ammunition. 

136,642  Artillery  Cartridge  Bags. 

200,113  Time  Fuses. 

476,207  pounds  of  Artillery  Projectiles. 

4,580,000  Buckshot. 

4,626,000  Lead  Balls. 

1,000,000  Percussion  Caps. 

10,760,000  Cartridges  for  Small  Arms. 

Together  with  an  immense  amount  of  Infantry,  Artillery  and 
Calvary  equipments. 

One  hundred  of  the  12-pounder  Napoleon  guns  were  formed  in- 


29 

to  complete  Batteries,  and  sent  to  the  Army  of  Tenessee  and  North 
Georgia ;  the  metal  being  received  from  Ducktown,  Tennessee,  and 
other  places  wherever  it  could  be  procured,  including  Church  and 
other  bells,  and  captured  6-pounder  bronze  cannon.  The  improved 
Hand-Grenades  with  General  G.  J.  Raines'  sensitive  tubes  were 
here  manufactured,  and  many  thousand  sent  to  the  Confederate 
armies. 

The  Army  of  Tennessee,  before  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  being  at  one 
period  about  to  run  short  of  small  arm  ammunition,  and  finding 
it  impracticable  to  procure  sufficient  additional  labor  in  time,  a  call 
was  made  on  the  ladies  of  Summerville  and  Augusta,  to  assist  in 
making  cartridges.  This  call  was  answered  with  all  the  promptness 
which  their  devotion  to  the  cause  inspired,  and  by  their  invaluable 
aid  the  danger  was  tided  over  by  the  production  of  75,000  cartridges 
per  day. 


Hi 


' 


Binder 
Gaylord  Bros.,  Ine, 

Stockton,  Calif. 
T.  M.  Reg.  U.S.  Pat.  Off. 


-c 


51264 


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